Filmmaker Aanand L Rai has expressed strong disapproval of the AI-edited version of his film Raanjhanaa. Titled Ambikapathy, the Tamil version of the movie is set to be re-released in theatres on August 1 with an alternate, happier ending created using Artificial Intelligence (AI). The production banner Eros International has digitally reshaped the film – without its director's consent.
In a post shared on Instagram, Aanand L Rai described the AI-edited version of his film as a jarring and disturbing alteration of his artistic vision.
The filmmaker wrote, "The past three weeks have been surreal, and deeply upsetting. To watch Raanjhanaa, a film born out of care, conflict, collaboration, and creative risk, be altered, repackaged, and re-released without my knowledge or consent has been nothing short of devastating. What makes it worse is the complete ease and casualness with which it's been done."
Expressing gratitude to his industry colleagues for taking a stand against Eros, Aanand L Rai added, "And yet, in the middle of all this, the support and solidarity from the industry, our audiences, and the larger creative community has reminded me of what Raanjhanaa stood for in the first place – connection, courage, and truth. I'm deeply grateful for that."
He continued, "Let me say this as clearly as I can: I do not support or endorse the AI-altered version of Raanjhanaa. It is unauthorised. I had no role in it. Neither did the team that made the film. And whatever it claims to be, it is not the film we intended, or made. This was never just a film to us. It was shaped by human hands, human flaws, and human feeling. What's now being circulated is not a tribute. It is a reckless takeover that strips the work of its intent, its context, and its soul."
Aanand L Rai further mentioned that the AI-edited changes to his film are a betrayal of the team's work and legacy.
"The idea that our work can be taken and modified by a machine, then dressed up as innovation, is deeply disrespectful. To cloak a film's emotional legacy in a synthetic cape without consent, is not a creative act. It's an abject betrayal of everything we built. I'm speaking for everyone who helped bring this film to life. The writer, actors, composer, lyricist, technicians, and larger crew. None of us were consulted. None of us were heard," the filmmaker wrote.
Aanand concluded the post, writing, "If Raanjhanaa meant something to you, as it did to us, please know that this AI-altered version does not reflect who we were. Nor does it carry the spirit of the film we made.
For those unversed, Aanand L Rai is expanding the Raanjhanaa universe with another intense love story titled Tere Ishq Mein. The film features Dhanush and Kriti Sanon in the lead roles.